Jason Gurley

Zach is a teen living in a small, struggling California town. Bad luck has followed him ever since his father's tragic death, and he's resigned to stay trapped in his town forever-until he meets Vanessa, an optimistic girl from a wealthy family who hopes to study astronomy at Cornell (inspired by her idol, Dr. Carl Sagan). When loner artist Zach catches her eye, Vanessa is determined to turn his luck, and outlook on life, around. Opposites attract as the two fall for each other until Zach's notorious bad luck threatens to pull them apart.Jason Gurley delivers a gorgeous debut young adult novel about dreams and believing in love - and yourself - to reach them.

Awake in the World

In Awake in the World, Jason Gurley delivers a gorgeous debut YA novel about dreams and finding the courage to reach them. When all was lost, they found each other. As the sun sets off the coast of the small California town of Orilla del Cielo, the silhouettes of oil rigs loom. Their shadows mar the serene backdrop, their sharpness a reminder of unfulfilled promises. To Zach, they are also a reminder of loss—his father, an oil worker, drowned years earlier. With his family struggling to make ends meet, Zach feels he’s destined for a bleak future. Until he meets Vanessa. She's an optimistic girl from a wealthy family whose sights are literally set on the stars. Inspired by her idol, Carl Sagan, she plans on studying astronomy at Cornell. But as oil prospectors in search of black gold know, the future is uncertain . . . and fortunes can always be flipped.

Sarekha Vandayar

Loved having the 2 different people from different classes and reading from each perspective. I think it gave a lot of insight into both individuals and their relationship from both their perspectives. Overall a really cute love story, never boring.

Vanessa has the world at her feet and is determined to go to an Ivy League university to study astronomy. Zach loves art, but his future looks set in stone, working on the same oil rig off the coast of California where his dad was killed in an accident. On paper, their worlds are poles apart. But their hearts and lives are connected in more ways than one.

Stefie 

I love this book. I love the story even though one of the main character, Vanessa, is sometimes not likeable.
The first 40% is okay and then good, but after that, it’s so good!! I was really drawn into the story. I couldn’t stop reading, I found myself turning page after page.

This book is told by two point of views. So you will get both views from our main characters, Vanessa and Zach. Gurley’s writing is great. I really like his writing style. It’s straight to the point, no unnecessary details, but yet manage to keep the flow going. Awake in the World heavy on conversation which I LOVE. It kept me interested!

Another thing I love is that how I feel connected to the story. I care for the main characters. I also love the complexity, the struggle, the emotions of the MCs. It’s like you know them well. Perhaps this is why I care for them, coz I know what’s in their mind, what they’re going through. 
Also the romance, it’s so subtle, it’s slow yet fast but cute. I don’t know 🙈 I couldn’t explain hahah. It’s just feels different. I like it.
I like how the romance & the family life are presented in this book. 

One more thing!! The way they talk about galaxy, stars, space! I love space so much... so this is a plus plus plus for me. 

Okay!!! AAA! There’s so much good things. So, just please read it... add it to your tbr list. Read the extract if you want to :)

*Thank you to publisher for a review copy!

Awake in the World

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